Turner Sports To Run SI.com

This press release came Monday morning, but because I was at a jobsite and then dealing with home disaster, things have slipped through the cracks. I’m trying to make up for lost time now. Kind of tough, but I’m dealing as best as I can.

Time Warner siblings Turner Sports and Sports Illustrated have announced what is being called “a strategic partnership”. What it means is that Turner Sports is going to take over the operation and ad sales of SI.com while the editorial content will remain under SI’s wing. Turner and SI have actually worked together before and it was called “CNN/SI“. It was actually a pretty good network before Time Warner pulled the plug in 2002. Now the two are working together again, this time on Sports Illustrated’s site and I think that will help both brands.

Sports Illustrated and Turner Sports Form New Digital Partnership

Combination Will Create Preeminent Online Sports Destination

New York, NY — Time Inc. and Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.) announced the formation of a strategic digital partnership between Turner Sports and Sports Illustrated to create one of the world’s most exciting sports destinations on the web. The agreement aligns two of Time Warner’s primary sports assets, capitalizing on each company’s core strengths to create an online sports powerhouse with new revenue and marketing opportunities for both portfolios.

The combination marries the wealth of stories, perspective and photos from SI with Turner’s digital media and sales expertise, resources, video sports rights and video production.  Sports Illustrated will create all editorial content across each of its platforms: the flagship magazine, its websites, mobile and the recently launched —and widely acclaimed — tablet version of the magazine.

Under the new agreement, Turner Sports will be responsible for business and technical operations, ad sales, product management and marketing for SI.com and Golf.com, which will be added to Turner’s portfolio of 19 digital sports and entertainment sites. The two organizations will collaborate on multiplatform sales across their collective properties. Additionally, Turner and SPORTS ILLUSTRATED will collaborate on the production of new mobile products and applications.

“The Sports Illustrated brand and award winning journalists complement and enhance Turner’s portfolio of sports offerings and reflects our combined commitment to bring fans greater content across a multitude of platforms,” said David Levy, president of sales, distribution and sports, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.  “The deal also provides greater opportunity for advertisers to expand their reach and activate innovative marketing opportunities to access more potential consumers across multiple platforms.  By leveraging Turner’s vast digital sports and entertainment portfolio, we expect to provide additional display, sponsorship and video advertising opportunities for SI.com and Golf.com.”

“SI’s journalism already powers extremely successful digital platforms that lead in every category from breaking news to community, creative design, info graphics and photography,” said Terry McDonell, Editor of The Sports Illustrated Group. “That makes this partnership the next step in an evolution for both SI digital and Turner that will make both stronger. Our brands will click naturally and strategically into place and everyone will win.” 

Turner Sports brings renowned digital media capabilities and has successfully partnered with leagues to create compelling fan experiences and businesses. SI.com and Golf.com complement Turner Sp
orts’ robust digital portfolio it manages, which includes the NBA Digital portfolio, NASCAR.COM, tbs Hot Corner on MLB.com, PGATOUR.COM and PGA.com, as well as a strategic relationship with Yahoo! Sports. In addition to its digital portfolio Turner Sports broadcasts a number of events year round on TBS, TNT and truTV, including the NBA, MLB, NASCAR, the PGA Championships and, beginning in 2011, the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship.

The Sports Illustrated Group’s award-winning journalism powers a media company that includes Sports Illustrated, SI.com, Golf Magazine, Golf.com, SI Golf Plus, SI Presents, SI Kids, SI International, SI Books, SI Mobile, SI Swimsuit, consumer products and experiential marketing. Earlier this year, Sports Illustrated was named to Adweek’s list of the industry’s hottest brands. Also in 2010, SI.com received a National Magazine Award for its NFL coverage, Editor & Publisher named SI.com the best sports website with over 1MM unique visitors and SI.com was a Webby Award finalist in the category of best sports website. The partnership with Turner Sports creates numerous opportunities to leverage these properties across a broader audience.

Best of luck to Turner and Sports Illustrated on the new venture.